Control system



March 2, 1943. w. R. MILLER 2,312,353

,CONTROL SYSTEM I ,Filed No'v', so, 1939 INVENTOR.

Iliaylaziafl M12221- Patented Mar. 2, 1943 CONTROL SYSTEM Wayland R. Miller, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Peri'ex Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis -a corporation oi Wisconsin Application November 30, 1939, Serial No. 306,852 I 3 Claims.

This invention relates in general to control systems and more particularly to heating control systems where some electrical means is employed in the system to force circulation of the heating medium employed and where some second electrical means is used to control the rate of combustion of fuel in the heating system. The first mentioned means may be, for example, a fan in the case of a warm air system or a pump in the case of ahot water system. The second men! tioned means may be, for example, a draft regulator, a stoker or an oil burner.

Usually it is desirable to maintain hot water for domestic use throughout the year. During the winter months when heat is required for conditioning rooms, it is an easy matter to install an auxiliary coil in a boiler or furnace and take some of the heat generated by the burning fuel to heat the domestic water. Although the heat generating means may be controlled directly from room temperatures or other room conditions, there will be sufficient heat required for conditioning the rooms on the average, to maintain the domestic hot water at or above a desirable temperature. During mild weather or during the summer months, however, little or no heat is required for conditioning rooms and if the heat generating means is controlled responsive to room temperatures, there will not be sufiicient heat generated to heat the domestic hot water to a desirable temperature.

Formerly, to alleviate this condition, an auxiliary heaterwas used to heat the domestic hot water alone during the summer months. It has been found, however, that domestic hot water may be obtained more economically by operating an auxiliary coil in the mainheat generating means intended primarily for conditioning the rooms, rather than operating an auxiliary heater.

A system intended to perform this dual function must be so controlled that regardless of the time of year, the heating plant will operate to insure domestic hot water of sufficient temperature and at the same time, if no heat is required in the rooms, transmission of heat from the heat generating means to the rooms will not occur. These functions are in addition to the customary function of supplying heat to the rooms being conditioned when such heat is required.

Heat generating means may be segregated into two general classes. In the first class, combustion of the fuel ceases immediately in response to I a control action. Oil and gas burners areexamples of this class. ,In the second class, combustion of the fuel does not cease in response to control action but overruns An automatic stoker or an automatic draft regulator are examples of this class.

,The customary control for preventing excessive temperature or pressure in'a heating system is an electrical switch operated by the conditions of the heating medium and is called a high limit control. When an excessive condition isdetected, a switch in the electric circuit to the heat generating means is opened. If the heat generating means is of the second class when this electric switch action takes place, the heat generation does not stop and the temperature and pressure may rise to a still greater excess. To prevent such operation from resulting in seriously dangerous conditions, it is customary to provide some means which will proceed to remove heat from the heat generating means at an increased rate when excessive temperature or pressure is detected. when this kind of safety operation is used it is termed "overrun safety.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new "and improved control system for a heating system.

Another object is to provide a new and improved control system havlng all of the desirable control features of a domestic heating plant with a minimum number of controls.

Another object is to provide a new and improved control system which will operate a heating system having a single heat producing means to supply domestic hot water all year around and provide satisfactory heating of a space to be heated at such time as may be required.

Another object is to provide a new and improved control system which will prevent hazardous operation of a heating plant due to overrun of a heat generating means.

Another object is to provide complete control for a heating system by the joint operation of a means responsive to space conditions and two thermostats responsive to the temperature-oi'the' heating medium.

Another object is to provide a new and improved control system which will operate to main. tain the temperature of a heating medium above a predetermined amount at all times, to permit heat to be supplied to a space to be heated when required, and to allow heat to be supplied to the space although it is not required in the event the temperature of the heating means exceeds a predetermined temperature.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of construction, circuit arrangement. and operation of the various parts and elements which will be hereinafter more fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims and of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings forming, a part-thereof vention applied to a hot water heating system.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the elec trical circuits employed in the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1 of the drawing, a furnace or boiler ID of the'customary design is shown. The boiler I is equipped in the usual manner with a heat generating means such as the oil burner l I arranged to heat a heating me-' dium such as the boiler water l2, it being understood that the oil burner H is equipped with Figure 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the inelement 25, and to render the action'of the hithe usual starting and safety controls not shown here. A riser I3 is connected to the top of the boiler in for the purpose ofconveying water l2 from the boiler to the heat dissipating system of the heating system. One of the heat dissipators is shown as the radiator I4 situated'in a portion of thespaceto be conditioned for the purpose of dissipating heat to the space.

A return line I5 is shown extending from the.

radiator I4 to the boiler H) for the purpose of returning the heating medium from the heat dissipating system to the boiler. A transporting means such as the pump or water circulator IB'is shown in the return line l5 for forcing the movement of the heating medium l2 through the boiler l0 and the-radiator l4 as well as the remainder or the radiating system. A physical condition responsive means such asthe space metal element snap acting. A pair of contacts 29 are arranged on opposite ides of the bimetal element 25 and are arranged to contact an opposing contact point3l when the bimetal is in its cold position and to engage the contact ,point 32 when the bimetal is in its hot position,

it being understood that the bimetal deflects from itscold position in contact with the contact point 32 as the temperature of the heating thermostat I1 is indicated to be positioned in the space being conditioned so as to be actuated by the temperature of the space. Physical condition responsive devices responsive to the tem-- perature of the heating medium l2 in the boiler ID are indicated generally as' thermostats A and B. C indicates generally a relay and other accessory control devices which may be desirable for operating the oil burner. Wiring in conduits i8, |9,2l and 22 serves to interconnect the thermostat H, the circulator IS, the relay and accessory devices C, the two thermostats A and B and the burner ll. Conduit connector 23 serves to bring a source of power into the system. The interconnection and arrangement of these devices comprise the control system of the invention and will be more fully set out hereinafter.

A domestic hot water heater is shownasthe heater'coil 24 immersed in the heating medium l2. The heater coil 24 heats the domestic hot water in an isolated system communicating with the main heating system, for which the heating medium I2 is provided, only to the extent of extracting some of the heat generated by the burner H. s

Figure l is shown merely to give an example of a representative system which might be controlled by the heating system control of the invention. It is not intended to be the only kind of system that might be controlled, it being understood that considerable modifications in the component parts of the system might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

For example, the heating coil 24 might be what is known in the art as an external side arm heater or indirect heater, the burner might be a stoker, the boiler 10 might be a steam boiler,

etc.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the devices generally set out in Fig. 1

- a pair of contacts 31.

the line conductors 4| and 42.

medium rises from a lower temperature to a higher temperature. The magnets 21 and 25, because of the biasing action on the magnetic armature 26, cause the engagement or disengagement of the contact pointswith snap action. The magnets 21 and 28 may be so arranged that when the cold contact is disengaged,

the bimetal contacts 29 will remain in a neutral position between the contact points 3l-and 32 or they may be alternately arranged so that when the bimetal contacts 29 and 3| are disengaged, the bimetal contacts 29 and the contact 32 will be immediately engaged, that is, the contacts 29 will snap from one contact point to the other. It is understood that when the boiler water temperature falls from a higher temperature to a lower temperature, the bimetal element 25 control action will be correspondingly reversed.

The thermostat B is represented in a manner similar to'the thermostat A. A bimetal element 33 is shown together with an associate magnetic armature 34, a pair of magnets 35 and 36 and In a similar way, a contact point 38 is shown to be engaged when the bimetal element 33 is in the cold position and a contact point 39 is shown to be engaged when the bimetal element'33 isin the hot position. The magnets 35 and 36 for the thermostat B may be arranged in alternate positions similar to the arrangement described in reference 'to thermostat A. The thermostats A and B have identical structures but, as will be pointed out hereinafter, the temperature level at which they operate is adjustable and may be set so that one operates at a higher or lower boiler water temperature than the other. Line conductors 4| and 42 serve to convey power from a commercial electrical source to the control system. The primary of a transformer 43 is connected between The space thermostat I1 is connected in series with the secondary or the transformer 43 and a relay coil 44. The space thermostat is arranged to close the thermostat contacts 45 and 45 upon a fall in temperature and thereby energizes the relay coil 44 from the secondary of the transformer 43. The relay coil 44, when energized, serves to operate the relay armature 41 to close the relay contacts 48 and 49. As is customary 'in'the art, the contacts 45 and 45 of the thermostat II are arranged to operate with snap action.

The relay contact 49 is electrically connected to the line conductor 4| by means of conductor 3|. The relay contact 43 is electrically connected to the bimetal elements and 33 by means of the electrical conductors 52 and 53 and the relay armature 41. I The hot contact point 32 of the thermostat A hot contact 33 of this thermostat is connected to' the line conductor 42 through the circulator -|3 bymeans of conductors 53 and53.

' Operation Assume that the space thermostat |I has been so adjusted that it will close its contacts when the temperature oi the space being heated falls below 70. iusted to move from its cold position to its hot position when the temperature of the boiler water exceeds 160, and further, assume that the thermostat A is adjusted to move from its cold posi- Assume that the thermostat B isad-.

tion to its hot position when the temperature of the boiler water |2 exceeds 210.

and is to be operated for the first time.

Under these conditions, the boiler water temperature wiilbe at room temperature, which might be 60, ior example, and consequently the bimetal contacts 31 of thermostat B will -be ment 25, one of bimetal element contacts 23, cold contact point 3|, conductor .55, oil burner conductor 53 to the line conductor 42. Since the room temperature is assumed to 80", the space thermostat contacts and 43 will be closed and the relay cofl 44 will operate the relay armature 41 to close the relay contacts 48 and 43. When the relay contacts 48 .and 43 are closed, a second circuit for the oil burner II is established. This second circuit extends from the conductor 4| through the conductor 5|, relay contacts 43 and 43, relay armature 41, conductor 52, conductor 53, bimetal element 25, one of bimetal contacts 23, cold contact point 3|, conductor 55, oil burner conductor 53 to the line conductor 42.

These circuit connections serve to operate the oil burner II which will, in turn, generate heat by burning the fuel supplied to it. The heat thus generated will increase the temperature of the boiler water 2. When the temperature of the boiler water I: reaches the temperature for which the thermostat B is set (160), the '-bimetal element 33 snaps from its cold position to its hot position opening.the first circuit at contacts 31 and 33 and establishes a second circuit between contacts 31 and 33. However, the oil burner continues to run because of the second circuit established by the action of the relay. This control action of the bimetal element 33 serves to start the circulator motor l5 through a circuit which extends from the line conductor 4|, through the conductor 5|, the relay contacts 43 and 43. relay armature 4l, conductor'52, conductor 53, bimetal element 33, one of bimetal Now, also as- I sume that the system has been newly installed element contacts J'Lhot contact 33, conductor 53, clrculator l5, conductor 53 to the line conductor 42.

When the circulator is energized, the portion of the boiler water i2 which has been in the boiler I3 and has been heated by the burner II will be moved out otthe boiler, transported to and circulated through the radiating system. The water l2 will flow from the boiler I0, through the delivery pipe H, the radiators of the system of which the'radiator I4 is one, the retumline 4 5 through the circulator I8. and again'return to the boiler. In this way,- the heat which has been generated by the oil burner II is conveyed to the space de- '15 sired to be heated. 'Asthis action continues, the temperature of the space will gradually increase 'until it exceeds the temperature for whichthe space thermostat II has been set to operate (70). When this point is reached, the space thermostat |'I opens its contacts 45 and 45 deenergizing the'relay coil 44 which causes the relay armature 41 to open the relay contacts 48 and.

'Immediatelypursuant to this action, both the oil burner .H and the circulator |3 will stop since prior to this action power to both was supplied solely through the circuit extending through the relay contacts 48 and 43. i I

- In the absence of heat beingsupplied to the space, the space temperature will gradually fall,

causing the space thermostat l1 to close its thermostat contacts 45 and 48 and in turn causing the relay armature" to engage the relay contacts 48 and 43. This will cause the oil burner II to be started through a circuit extending through the cold contact 3| of the thermostat A. I Now, if during the interval of time following the preceding operation of the oil burner II, the temperature of the boiler water i2 has not dropped below the temperature setting of the thermostat B (160), the circulator It will also be started as a result of the space thermostat operation since upon closure of the relay contacts 48 and 43 a circuit for the circulator will extend through the hot contact 33 Assuming the first condition prevails, the oil burner II and the circulator l8 will continue to operate until the space .thermostat H. is again satisfied and causes the relay contacts 48 and 43 to open. V

An exception to this-normal operation occurs if due to the heating action of theoil burner II, the

temperature of the boiler, water 12 rises in excess of the setting of the'thermosta't A (210), before the space thermostat 'II'is'satisiied. This might happen for example during very severe weather when the room thermostat. I1 would be almost continuously calling for heat and the circulator l6 and the radiating system would be unabletodissipate heat as rapidly-as the oil burner would be able to generate it. If this condition arises, the thermostat A causes its bimetal 25 to snap from the cold position to the hot position thus interrupting the circuit to the oil burner at the cold contact 3|. The thermostat'A in performing this function, serves as the conventional high limit control.

The thermostat B, in operating as described,

performs the usual function of a reverse acting" is not required for-heating the space.

circulator control but the thermostat 3 also has another function which will now be described.

Theheating system described hereinisequip f to provide domestic hot-water, regardless of climatic conditions, from the same generalsource of heat which supplies heatfor the space to -be heated. Consequently, in order that the domestic hot water will have the required temperature, the oil burner ll must. operate regardless of whether or not any heat'is required in the space being heated. For this reason the space thermostat II cannot operate the oil burner I I alone. The thermostat B worksin conjunction with the space thermostat l1 tdoperate the oil'burner II when heat is required for domestic hot water but The thermostat B is so arranged that it maintains a circuit through the oil burner through its cold contact" independent of the action of the space thermostat l1 providing the thermostat A remains in its cold position and maintains a closed circuit through its cold contact ll. Thus it is seen that the thermostat B in its second function serves as a "low limit control -for the boiler and by its control action starts the oil burner II when necessary to keep the boiler water temperature above a predetermined level regardless of other conditions.

In some heating installations and particularly in those using an automatic coal stoker rather than the oil burner I l, difficulty is experienced by overruns as previously described. Assume for example that climatic conditions cause the stoker to run a considerable amount of the time so that the temperature of the boiler water exceeds the temperature for which the high limit control is set to operate and further assume that shortly after the high limit control causes the stoker to stop, the space thermostat II also causes the circulator I to stop because a satisfactory temperature condition exists in the space. The fire which has been burning vigorously because of almost continual stoker operation. does not die down immediately but continues to burn at a relatively rapid rate and continues to furnish considerable heat to the boiler water [2. So long as the boiler water I2 is circulated in the dissipating system, the temperature of the boiler water l2 in the boiler Ill does not considerably increase above its established temperature but when the circulator It stops there is no place for the heat being furnished by the stoker to be dissipated and unless further steps are taken, the temperature ofthe boiler water [2 rises an appreciable amount and dangerous conditions-result. For this reason the thermostat A is so set and so connected that when excessively high boiler water conditions are reached, a circuit for the circulator I5 is closed regardless of whether or not heat is required in the space. When the boiler water temperature exceeds the temperature setting of the thermostat A (210),the bimetal 25 snaps to its hot position, establishing a circuit for the circulator l6 from line conductor ll through conductor 54, hot contact point 32, one of the bimetal contacts 29, bimetal element 25, conductor 53, bimetal element 83, one of the bimetal contacts 31, hot contact 99, conductor 58, circulator l5, conductor 59, to line conductor 42. This action causes operation of the circulator and as a result heat being generated by inter-connection being such as. to provide a simple control system which, fully protectsagainst all of the recognized hazards and y'e't'performs- I in a fully satisfactory manner. It will beseen,

, that the thermostat B, first, controls the system a as a lowlimit control and assures that the boiler tem to prevent undue .and unnecessary operathe overrun of the stoker is removed from the boiler, and damage to the heating system or other dangerous consequences resulting from over-heating are prevented. I

tion of the circulator It as well as to prevent cooling of the boiler water l2 when the oil burner or stoker II is attempting to heat it =sumciently,

to provide the requisite hot water. The thermostat A, first, operates as a high limit control to prevent operation of the stoker or oillburner II when the temperature oftheboiler water I! is excessive and, second, it operates as an overrun safety control to prevent the occurrence of dangerous conditions by functioning to assure that the circulator will operate when the temperature of the boiler water is excessive. It will be seen that four separate and distinct control functions are being accomplished by but two thermostats. v

The description of the operation of the thermostats A and B contemplates their being constructed so as to snap from their hot position to their cold position and vice versa in one operation. It is to be understood that if found desirable, these controls may be made with a neutral or dead position so that in the course of their operation they will move, for example, from the hot position to the neutral position at one selected temperature and from the neutral position to the cold position at another selected tem-' perature. With this mode of operation, the thermostat A might be set to operate as a high limit control and stop the burner H at one temperature but would fail to start the circulator inpursuance to the overrun safety feature until a higher temperature was reached.

As was explained heretofore, the operation of the thermostats may be altered by altering the arrangement of the magnets which control the snap action.

It is further to be understood that it is not the intention to limit the invention to the specific construction of the thermostats disclosed here. Any thermostats embodying the essential operating features of the thermostats here disclosed may be substituted with equally satisfactory results. For example, thermostats of the type disclosed in copending application Serial No. 287,263, Homer E. Malone, filed July 29, 1939, may be substituted for the thermostats A and B. The space thermostat I1 has been shown as a low voltage instrument operating a relay merely as an example of one way of performing the switching function of the space thermostat. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that a line voltage thermostat may be inserted between the conductors 5| and 52 instead of the relay contacts 48 and 49 with equally satisfactory results.

The description herein relative to the space thermostat H has been confined to the operation of a device responding solely to temperature. It should be understood that this system will work equally satisfactory or perhaps more so if a deviceresponding jointly to several physical conditions'ofthe space, is substituted for the therresponsive to the temperature of the 7 mostat. Such a device might be a so-called psychrometric control which would respond to a combination of physical conditions, two of which would be temperature and relative humidity. v

While the features of the invention have been illustrated and described in only one of its practlcal applications, it will be understood that other applications thereof may be apparent to those skilled in the art and it is therefore desired that the invention be not limited to the particular disclosure made but only to the scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

v 1. In a control system for a heating system including a heater having fuel combustion means and fluid circulating means for circulating heating fluid to aspace, the combination of, switch-' ing means controlled in accordance with the demand for heat in said space, control means responsive to the temperature of the heating means, said control means comprising a first switching mechanism of the double throw type having a common terminal connected to a first terminal when the heater temperature is below a predetermined low value and connected to a second terminal when the heater temperature is above said low value, said control means also comprising a second switching mechanism of the double throw typeincluding a common terminal which is connected to a first terminal when the heater temperature is above a predetermined high value and which is connected to a second terminal when the heater temperature is below said high value, circuit connections for connecting said switching means to one side of a source of power and directly to and in series with the common terminals of said switching mechanisms, circuit connections between the first terminals of" said switching mechanisms and said one side of the source of power for shuntingsaid switchand the circulating means, a circuit connection between the second terminal of the second I switching mechanism and the combustion means,

ing means controlled in accordance with the demand for heat in said space, control means heating means, said control means comprising a first switching mechanism of the double throw type ing means, a circuit connection between the second terminal of the first switching mechanism having a common terminal connected to a first terminalwhen the heater temperature is below a predetermined low value and connected to a second terminal when the heater temperature is above said low value, said control means also comprising a second switching mechanism including first and second terminals which are connected together when the heater temperature is below a predetermined high value and which are disconnected when the heater temperature is above said high value, circuit connections for connecting said switching means to one side of a source of power and directly to and in series with the common terminal of said first switching mechanism and one terminal of said second switching mechanism, a circuit connection between the first terminal of the first switching mechanism and said one side of the source of power for shunting said switching means, a circuit connection between the second terminal of saidfirst switching mechanism and the circulating means. 'a circuit connection between the other terminal of the second switching means and the combustion means, and circuit connections for directly connecting the combustion means and circulating means to the other side of the source of power.

3. In a control system for a heating system includinga heater having fuel combustion means and fluid circulating means for circulating heatfirst contact engaged thereby when the heater temperature is below a predetermined low value and a second contact engaged by said switch arm when the heater temperature is above said predetermined low value, a third thermostatic switch including a switch arm and a, contact engaged thereby when the heater temperature is below a predetermined high value, and connections between a source of power, said switches, said fuel combustion means and said circulating means, said connections providing a first energizing circuit for said fuel combustion means through said first and third switches and a second energizing circuit therefor through the first contact of said second switch, said connections also providing an energizing circuit for said circulating means through the first switch and the second contact of the second switch.

WAYLAND R. MILLER. 

